| Show GLORIOUS GLO rious rions uncertainty OF MODERN THEOLOGY ix IK answer to a number of questions on he the subject of baptism its object and proper mode admInistration of the christian union gives replies which leave the anxious inq inquirer ulner in the bame same condition of doubt as before the request for information this Is ia not unusual with theological journals and preachers the supposed authorities on such matters having merely opinions to offer which are quite unsatisfactory to a mind thirsting for knowledge the union states that prior to the time of john the baptist baptism was administered by the jewish rabble that gentile converts ware required to be immersed as a sign eign that they washed away their old faiths and filthiness and emerged new creatures in the life of ba baptism that john took thih this symbol lymb ol 01 ready to hand and that christ adopted it from john and adds egbo so long as christianity was a religion of the warm count countries alone baptism was ordinarily and perhaps always administered by boy immersion whether infants were baptized when the father was converted is a disputed question on which in our judgment the new testament throws no light ordinarily however repentance and faith in the individual baptized were conditions precedent of baptism whether we have a tight to change the form of baptism from immer immersion sion sIgn to sprinkling and whether we have a right to use it as the symbol in dedicating our children when we dedicate ourselves are quasi quast questions ions fons the answer to which depends upon the way in which the new testament is regarded those who regard it as a book of rules prescribing a christian ritual ritnar will bay say no those thom who regard it simply as a divine revelation of love and helpfulness ful ness and a call to spiritual life in which men may use ube such rituals as help and cast of such as hinder will give a different answer chief reply Is ia its glorious glori ous oua uncertainty the matter is left to the candidate and his views of the new now testament he forms his own notion he pays his money and he takes his choice upon euch euah an important matter as an divine appointment established for a purpose vitally affecting beams i as though something definite should be pro ro bulged by religious religions teachers whether from the pulpit or the press prees the chief editors of the christian ch union often ad administer fril ter ten that which they call cali baptism they do doft doli it in the name or of thy tho holy hoir trinity this la Is virtually a profession 0 of 0 dhority to a net act t in the stead of ibs its divine three and yet they do lot not know apparent apparently aly how or for purpose it should be ba rightly adrain catered lat ered erod they have somo opinion lod ioD about it but do not beem seem to totcha them any morg moro reliable or of my aai more value than the opinions of in 4 ers they will bult suit the orela i I 1 ance to the whims of the candidate candi date datt he may be sprinkled besprinkled or have watell poured upon him or bo be ammenti im menet menti they are aregust just aa ready readi it in one way as another and to toai loan at infant as to an adult but if the have divine authority they certain certainly should know the divine mind upon tile tiie ordinance they attempt to ai a minister if they have none thell theli administrations must be void the acts of accredited agents of earthly barthl governments if performed accord ing to instructions are ledi ledl ed by the powers that author authorize lz them acts performed in the nam dam of a government without its author ity would bo be null nuli can it 16 be ej a pecked that the divizie Govern mel mei pretended official doings on oa earth earths without its authority and will the deity auth authorize oriza agenten who do not know anything about tho the divine will in rt ference to their administrations it appears to w that the answer to these queries cu cas be readily given with confidence b s the negative by any one with wb cil nary c capacity apa cIty we are aware that the subject I A baptism has been a matter of dh among professed disciples 0 a christ for centuria and the fact that it remains so ro is fa proof that mott morl it if not au nil of them are without divine authority aghany if any aay man do hib wis oba oha the fathers esther q bijj he shall shail know or of the doctrine said jesus jebus those whom be sent bent out to preach were commissioned to and to telah teach what he be had commanded them but these modern ministers have run without being sent they have filched the commission con mission given and intended only for the eleven apostles they have no more right to it than bolit credentials of the ambassador to berlin or paris or that Is why they know no more about this divine ordinance than then deluded follower followers ej and cannot eos bos give an authoritative answer to a sim bim e question concerning its object add ani proper form john the baptist knew what it 11 was for and how to administer it so did jesus jeans and hib his hib disciples all of them scared that it was for or the remission of sins and when they baptized they immersed believing and repentant candidate ain aln water vaten and they did not adopt or copy after any sym bym bol or of custom of the rabbis nhat they did they performed by divida divina commandment john was bent sent by direct ie to preach repentance and baptize with water christ and hla hib apostles were ceni beni of god goti to preach baptize with wa ter and confer the holy ghost they all knew know what they were about and did wot kot leave their con converts werta verta to in doubt or attempt to adapt a divine command to suit human whims neither did they confine immersion to warm countries they did wt not have one baptism for one nation adf add another for another but one low lod lor lon one faith and one aar for all it is so with the servants of god divinely commissioned in the piea ent age having the same authority in inthia thia this respect with that exercised by the apostles lu la the primitive christian church they act under instructions given by direct revelation aloni which are as follows follow sj baptism tato isto la to le be administered ed in the fonow mog ing manner mannen unto all thosa those who repent tho the iha tha person who la bi called or of god and has haes authority from troia jesus christ to baptize shall go down into th awater with the person who nu has pre dented benr or herself for baptism and shail ahall say eay calling caning him or her ber by name namo hafar been co of ot jesus lesus chrisg carlas I 1 bactol ba you inthe name of the tha k ather athen and of the tle soo son and of the ibe holy G hosl bosl amen then ahall he be immel neol neoe mia bim or her in the tha water and sad come forth agata again out cut of tho water waier no one Is to be baptized w without previously believing in god the jy ather vather and jesus jesua christ the son and repenting of all sin that this mode and these thebe requirements were part of the christian religion as taught in the now testament the anion union doea does not dija dispute who then obtained authority to change them theny no one can tell men have had bad the temerity to introduce things never commanded of god gods according to their own notions hen hence ce th the a co con oon n fusion of modern christendom if falth faith and repentance we bre condi condl conditions dons precedent to baptism as the union admits does not this settle settie the question of infant baptism and pro proto je it to bo be erroneous I 1 it t does most conclusively for infants infanta cannot believe and have nothing to repent of and if immersion was wa the mods mode established by jebus jesua and his apo apostles the right to change the form la Is not pendent dependent upon leopla peo piga pigs s conflicting nil nii eting ideas about the new testament it cannot elst in man or mans private interpretations for the prerogative to change a divine law or regulation belongs belon gs to deity delty def del ty alone we a rejoice in the certainty of everything connected with the religion called mormonism which la Is indeed a restoration of the true christian faith nothing in it is left to human conjecture all is ia certain and secure as aa the rock bock of ages itla it la definite dogmatic authoritative because it is divine abid herein is one of its powers of resistance against every encroachment and as assault tault its ita doctrine aare bare not the opinions of meu men but the revelations of god its ordinances are not subject to the ca prices of mor mortal but are administered by those who have received authority from the heavens he avene and are attended by the divine approbation and a witness to every soul who gho ho obeys them that they are vallas valid genuine and effectual |
